PROVO, Utah (TCN) — A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with the 2021 death of his girlfriend.
KSTU reports 19-year-old Rena Nguyen, the girlfriend of Caleb Rees, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in October 2021. An investigation into her death found Nguyen’s friends knew she was struggling with her mental health and had threatened to take her own life that day.
A friend called the police to conduct a welfare check, which reportedly angered Rees, and he and Nguyen argued. Some of the argument was recorded by Nguyen’s phone, and Rees is heard telling her she ruined his life while he was arranging to move her out of the home they shared.
According to prosecutors, Rees then left a loaded gun near Nguyen and left the room, per KSTU. The audio recording captured the sound of a gunshot.
KTVX reports Nguyen was a biology student at Brigham Young University. The gun she used to take her life belonged to Rees. The investigation later revealed Nguyen had accused Rees of domestic violence and sexually assaulting her while holding a gun to her head.
In August 2024, Rees was charged with manslaughter in connection with Nguyen’s suicide and other charges related to drug and firearm possession, the Daily Herald reports.
Rees pleaded guilty in April to manslaughter, two counts of possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a controlled substance, per KSTU. He was sentenced July 17 to zero to five years for each count, to be served consecutively. According to prosecutors, Nguyen was not having a mental health crisis but was a victim of domestic violence, KTVX reports.
In a victim impact statement, KTVX reports Nguyen’s mother said, “Even in Rena’s final moments, the abuse did not stop. … In those final moments of her life, our daughter was not heard, she was not protected, she was not safe.”
Rees read a statement to the judge prior to sentencing, according to KTVX. In part, it read, “If I could go back and do things differently, I absolutely would.”
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